Julian Slade

Born in London, England, in 1930,[2] he moved with his family in 1940 to Painswick, Gloucestershire, where he spent his formative years, becoming a young member of the village dramatic society.

[4] During his time at the Old Vic, Slade wrote incidental music for several productions including Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Duenna.

[2] The show was such a success that it moved to London, where it ran for over 2,288 performances[5] - a record at the time.

It was in London that a young Cameron Mackintosh saw the show with his aunt and decided to become a theatrical producer.

Slade's second most successful musical was Free as Air, written with Dorothy Reynolds, which opened at the Opera House in Manchester in 1957, before moving to the Savoy Theatre, London, where it ran for 417 performances.